The PlayStation 3 is not only one of the best Blu-ray players on the market, it's also the cheapest. As such, many home theater fans own the console as much for its movie playing abilities as its gaming ones. A continuing hassle for these owners, however, is the fact that the PlayStation 3's reliance upon Bluetooth wireless means it won't play well with nice universal remotes that depend upon IR. As such, many owners have been annoyed by the fact that they have to keep a dedicated PS3 remote or SIXAXIS on hand for watching movies
Today, however, we've got a potential solution to the headache on hand, and it is Messiah's Darklite Media Remote for the PlayStation 3. The IR remote operates via a receiver / charging station that connects to the PS3 via USB. As such, for those so inclined, it is one of the first solutions for peeps that want to be able to control the PS3 with a universal IR remote like the Harmony line.
Once such buyers get the Darklite remote in hand however, they might think twice about ditching it in favor of a universal. The remote is about as thin as an iPhone and is housed in shiny black plastic. A Click Wheel-looking (it's not electrostatic) menu browser and power button are all that's apparent on the remote's face, but it actually has a bit more hiding away. With a bit of pressure the remote slides open much like a cell phone to reveal a compliment of media controls for DVD and Blu-ray playback that include Play / Pause, Stop, Track Forward / Back, Seek Forward / Back, Display, Menu, and Options. The buttons, as well as the face mounted Menu circle, are backlit attractively in blue for easy use in a dark room.
Messiah chose to incorporate a built in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery in the Darklite remote. Charging takes place when the remote is seated in the cradle built into the IR receiver USB dongle. It's a good idea, but we foresee a bit of hassle due to the fact that the dock will only charge the remote when the PS3 is on, which is presumably when owners will actually want to have the remote in hand.
We put the remote to use and found that it performed just as it should. The two LEDs on the receiver / charging dock that denote power and connection lit up immediately upon the PS3 coming online, and we were easily able to navigate though the console's menu system and movie playback with the remote. The IR does require line of sight, but when the remote and dock could see one another they were responsive and accurate.
The retail price of Messiah's Darklite Media Remote will be $29.99 when it officially launches on September 25th. Those sick of navigating via SIXAXIS will likely be happy with the Darklite, either as a total package or simply for its IR receiver.
Rating Description out of 10
7.5 Performance
Did a good job being a remote control. Nice, stylish sliding design and rechargeable battery are good features.
8.0 Build Quality
Shiny black plastic is well finished. Sliding mechanism feels sturdy.
9.0 Ease of Use
USB plug-and-play stylee.
7.5 Value
$29.99 isn't cheap, but the Darklight does sport a rechargeable battery, so we'd say it's pretty fair.
7.7 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)